City Hall

Lawrence City Commission agenda for Dec. 11

City commissioners will consider approving the zoning for a new Kansas University sports park near the northeast corner of Sixth Street and the South Lawrence Trafficway.

Background

The request is for 90 acres to be rezoned from agricultural to general public and institutional uses. The zoning would allow KU to build a new track and field stadium, soccer field and softball stadium, along with other features. It also would clear the way for the city to build a new $25 million recreation center at the park, but commissioners are not taking any action on the recreation center proposal at Tuesday's meeting. Staff members are still negotiating agreements with Kansas University Endowment, which will own the land where the park will be located. City officials have said they are comfortable with moving forward with the rezoning before agreements are reached on the recreation center because KU has indicated it plans to proceed with the sports park regardless of whether the city locates a recreation center there.

Consent agenda

• Receive minutes from boards and commissions.

• Approve claims.

• Approve licenses recommended by the city clerk’s office.

• Bid and purchase items:

a. Set bid date of Jan. 8 for removal of the existing water production wells and the subsequent site cleanup and well plugging as part of former Farmland property remediation work.

b. Award bids for this street division equipment:

i. 1-ton pickup with snowplow and hydraulic system from Roberts Chevrolet and Buick for $36,471.

e. Approve bid for SWAN Building Fume Extractor System to Industrial Roofing for $33,000.

f. Authorize purchase of one Hunter tire machine and one Hunter tire balancer for the Public Works Department from the NJPA government contract for $30,359.

g. Award bid for HVAC maintenance contract for City Hall, Lawrence Arts Center, Community Health Building and Riverfront Offices to Trane for $77,740.

h. Authorize the city manager to execute a supplemental agreement to the original engineering services agreement with Wilson and Company for $60,520 for design and bid phase engineering services for the O’Connell Road waterline.

i. Authorize the city manager to execute a supplemental agreement with Professional Engineering Consultants to the engineering services agreement for design phase engineering services for $88,093 for project 2012-2013 water main relocation program ($49,957 is for pre-design phase engineering services and $38,136 is for design and bid phase engineering services). During capital plan and rate discussions, the commission will determine whether construction proceeds on all of the projects.

• Approve annexation of about 20 acres east of Kansas Highway 10 and north of Sixth Street adjacent to Baldwin Creek City Park, generally bounded by East 902 Road on the west and George Williams Way extended on the east. Submitted by Paul Werner Architects for Fairway LC, property owner of record. Adopt on first reading an ordinance annexing the land.

• Approve rezoning about 90 acres, from County A (Agricultural) District to GPI (General Public and Institutional Uses) District, east of Kansas Highway 10 and north of Sixth Street adjacent to Baldwin Creek City Park, generally bounded by East 902 Road on the west and George Williams Way extended on the east. Submitted by Paul Werner Architects for Fairway LC, property owner of record. Adopt on first reading an ordinance rezoning the land.

• Receive Long Range Planning 2013 Work Program.

• Authorize the city manager to bind coverage for Builders Risk Insurance for library construction for $47,525.

• Approve installation of two 15-minute parking meters on Seventh Street adjacent to 645 New Hampshire St.

• Receive letter from North Lawrence Improvement Association requesting placement of “Historic Business District” signs on the east side of North Second Street south of Locust Street and on the west side of North 2nd Street, north of Johnny’s Tavern.

• Approve the city’s 2013 Legislative Priority Statement.

• Authorize city manager to execute agreement with CFS Engineers for $43,600 for special testing and inspection services as part of the library reconstruction and parking garage project. (If the add alternate parking spaces do not proceed, the agreement will cost $3,750 less.)

• Consider establishment of a benefit district for the construction of an additional level to the library parking garage project and consider adopting a resolution setting out the findings of the governing body and ordering the construction.

• Conduct public hearing regarding the proposed plan for establishment of an organized recycling collection service and consider approving the plan.

City should wait until the endowment owns the land instead of fairway l.c.. Wait until the endowment owns the land to rezone. Where is the contract between the city and the endowment for this land purchase. How much is the endowment paying fairway l.c. for the land ? All contracts go through the board of regents. Have they approved the endowment purchase of this land? How many university endowments have built sport facilities for their cities? How is the assists foundation money promised for this complex,being accounted for. Is it gong to the city, or the endowment. Is the city paying 22 million and the assists foundation paying 3 million, or is the city paying 25 million and the assists is giving 3 million to the endowment?

Kansas has the 9th highest sales tax in the nation which makes Lawrence a stiff sales tax as well. Add in the "secret sales taxes" around town likely puts Lawrence at about 11%.

Business unfriendly or what?

The fed should raise rates on developers to stifle reckless building habits which keep property values stagnate or decreasing. Flooding the real estate markets is dumb economics.

Every community would be better off employing people to rehab sidewalks,streets and building inter urban walking/bike trails that get our children to school, people to work and play safely.

Let's tighten up the real estate markets in an effort to restore value. Let's improve the existing
markets with projects such that was suggested above thus adding value.

If sales tax were reduced it would increase the taxes on just about all other tax supported services = still a major increase in the local cost of living. All tax dollar subsidies no matter what they are called are not affordable to local residents.